Pages

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Creedon - Surname Saturday

Creedon is an Irish surname and is seen most often in Country Cork, Ireland. There are many variations in spelling such as Creeden, Creedan, Credon, but in Ireland, the name is now almost always spelled as Creedon. The Irish spelling of the name is Críodáin (O'Críodáin or Mac Críodáin). The name has sometimes been abbreviated as Creed. My great-great-grandfather Timothy Creeden was born in 1846 in County Cork, Ireland and settled in Clinton County, Ohio by 1868 when he married Mary Ann Matson. My family continues to use the Creeden spelling.

The earliest origins of the name may have been in Northern Ireland. From the Book of Irish Families, Great & Small by Michael C. O'Laughlin: According to "Keatings History", the name is given to the chief of the parish of Magheramisk, in the barony of Massareene, in the province of Ulster.

A similar reference is in "Irish Pedigrees; or, the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation" by John O'Hart, Fifth Edition, 1892: Down and Part of Antrim, THE Chiefs and Clans of Ulidia, and the territories they possessed in the twelfth century, as collected from O'Dugan's Topography, are as follows:-- ... 9. O'Criodain (Credan, Creden, and Creed), chief of Machaire Maedhaidh, now the parish of "Magheramisk," in barony of Massarene.

Crest displayed at the Creedon Hotel

From an article by Joe Creedon, owner of the Creedon Hotel: The name of O’Criodain (or possibly MacCriodain) seems to have derived from an eminent early Bishop called Cridan. He was buried in 638 AD on Island Mahee in Strangford Lough in nearby County Down.
See complete article here: Uibh Laoire Families - Creedons

There are several early references to Creedon harpers in the Fiants of Elizabeth.

From Joe Creedon: One court where they were welcomed was that of FitzGerald of Cloyne. He was a distinguished member of the family of the Earls of Desmond, who for some time lived at Castle Martyr Castle. In 1621 AD there were two Creedon Harpers at his court, Patrick and Jeremiah. One of the harps which they played survives to our time.

From "More Irish Families" by Edward MacLysaght:
"CREEDON, Creed, a West Cork name, is now called O'Criodain in Irish (i.-e. Tomas O Criadain the 19th century Gaelic-Irish scribe) but formerly and properly it was Mac Criodain... Creedon has been abbreviated to Creed to a considerable extent - even as early as 1659 when Francis Creed was a titulado in the parish of Kilquan, Co. Limberick. About that time the name occurs as Mac Creed in the Irish army lists preserved in the Ormond manuscripts. Both Creed and Creedon appear in the marriage licence bonds of the diocese of Cork, Ross and Cloyne from 1682 and among the names of larger landowners in Co. Cork in 1878. In 1866 there were 40 Creedon, Creedan and Creeden births registered (37 in Co. Cork) while Creed was only 8, the figures for 1890 were Creedon 15 (all Co. Cork or near) Creed 9 (5 Co. cork). In the Macroom districts, where these names are most numerous, cases have been recorded of their synonymous use by one family in registering births."

The earliest Creedon reference I have seen in the US is for a Cornelius Creden, born in the 1750's in Massachusetts. He is listed as a wagoner in Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev. War. Comp. By Secy. Of the commonwealth, Ms. Boston. The earliest Catherine Creeden I have seen is from Record of Indentures of Individuals Bound Out as Apprentices, Servants, etc. City of Philadelphia, October 3, 1771 - October 5, 1773, where she was listed as an indentured servant.

As you can see, I've collected a few Creedon crests along the way. I wouldn't put too much stock in any of them being authentic, but they're fun to look at!

Questions on the origins of the name remain. Are the Creedons connected to the distinct Creed surname or was the name simply abbreviated to Creed? Another variation that occurs in early Ireland and the UK is Credan. Are they connected? I would love to hear what other Creedon or Creed researchers think.

27 comments:

Im a first cousin of Joe Creedon of the Creedon Hotel (Inshigeela, ?spelling, county cork). We have a huge family. Joe is fantastic, he keeps his hotel guests very well entertained in his pub singing and telling songs & craic (joking, having fun). I just adore him. I live in the usa, so I don't see him nearly enough. My uncle took me to a very old graveyard in west cork where all the creedon ancesters r buried. (Graveyard with statue of saint gobenas of the bees & a ruin of a building with a sheelanagig (ancient irish fertility doll) over one of the windows. Women still go there and do a ritual to help conceive (something like walking around the building backwards & standing jp in the window to touch the fertility icon. Ur relative above with the bowtie sure looks like a creedon to me.

Katie, thanks for the comment. How interesting on the old graveyard! Visiting the Creedon Hotel is definitely on my list for when I go to Ireland. My relative with the bowtie is Charles Creeden, my great-grandfather. His father Timothy came over from Ireland, but I still don't know much about his exact origins.

I too am of Creeden decent and have been trying to find out more about our history. I have record that my great-great-great grandfather was a Timothy Creeden from Ireland. However, he was born in 1802 and married Ellen W. also from Ireland. I cannot find out where in Ireland. They had my great-great grandfather, William Patrick Creeden, in Ross Co., Ohio. And my great grandfather, Ellsworth C. Creeden, was born in Darke Co., Ohio. I recieved most of this information from a cousin, and verbally from my grandmother. Do you perhaps know the names of other children your Timothy Creeden had?Thank you, and I enjoy your site!

If you don't know a specific location, I'd visit the Macroom and surrounding areas in County Cork. A lot of Creedons originated from there. There is a Joe Creedon that runs Creedon's Hotel in Inchigeelagh and that would be worth a visit. Hope you have a great trip!

My grandmother was a Creeden, Minnie May she was the oldest daughter of William P. and Mary C. Both are buried in Pratt, Ks. Minnie May married George James in Pratt shortly after Mary C. passed in 1911. My mother Lucille, she would go often to Sublette Ks to visit the Creeden relatives.

Do you have any information on Minnie May's grandparents? I've been trying to figure out if William P. and Mary C. are the same ones that were married in Clinton County, Ohio in 1885. William may be the half brother of my 2x great-grandfather Timothy Creeden. Feel free to contact me if you want to exchange information!

Sorry, I took so long to get back to you. I' ve hit the brick wall and gone in circles. I have been tracking the siblings of William P Creeden and Mary C Snyder. There were approx. 8 so its a job. I found William and Orville (Orval?) two of their sons in the 1940 census in Az. They listed their occupation as mine owner and mining. Now heres the kicker, it list their parents birthplace as Pennsylvania and not Ohio. I still have not found William Patricks parents. William and Mary are buried in Pratt Ks. Mary and her daughter Minnie, both died at the age of 48. Minnie's daughters both died at 48. My mother being one of them of cervical cancer so thats another avenue I looking at for my daughter's health.

No problem! I've found a lot of errors in census records, so the Pennsylvania birth could just be a mistake. My Timothy Creeden's birth place was listed as Ohio in the 1860 census and his year of birth was wrong. That threw me off linking him to his family for a long time.

I found your William in the 1900 census in Darke County, Ohio next to my Timothy Creeden's half brother John Creedan. William and Mary's children in the 1900 census included Minnie, Ellsworth, and Orval. John's children were Flora and Stella and his second wife was Ida. Those names are unusual enough for both of them that I'm sure they're the same ones. I'm guessing John and William were related and were possibly brothers.

If you haven't seen my posts on trying to figure out which William is which, see

and http://kathrynsquest.blogspot.com/2013/06/mystery-monday-which-william-is-which.html.

Have you thought about doing DNA testing? My sister and I have our tests on Ancestry, so if you decide to do it, we could see if we have any matches. Did you find any obituaries for William and Orville? That might shed some light on their parents. I'll see what I can find. Thanks for getting back to me!

I have not found the obituaries but I believe I found them both in Az. I think Orville may have passed in 1950. I believe William may have went into the Army. I found a grave at the Veteran cemetary at Dodge City. The ages match up. I have also found a Timothy and Ellen in Hamilton county Ohio. It list John and my great grandfather William P as sons the birth dates of both match. I wish I could get the 1890 census which was lost in a fire. William was listed in the 1900 census with all the children so they may have left for Kansas shortly after that as he died 8 years later in Pratt, Ks.

I'll try and post some of my notes this weekend, but I don't think the John and William in the 1900 census in Darke County, Ohio are the sons of Timothy and Ellen. The William in Darke County has wife Mary and children including Orville and Ellsworth, while the other William has wife Margaret and sons Thomas, Michael, and Laurence in Hamilton County in the 1900 census. The John in the 1900 Darke County census next to your William was in Mercer County in 1910 and 1920 and died there in 1923. That John was the son of Patrick Creedan of Clinton County. There were two sets of brothers with similar names and ages, so it can get confusing. I think you're right about your William P. going to Kansas shortly after the 1900 census. W.P. Creeden is listed in a 1905 state census for Kansas with wife Mary and children including Orville and Ellsworth.

Dwy5019, I went back through my notes and made another pass at searching for records online. I think I'm going in circles too! My latest post on my blog has some of my findings. I struck out with finding anything new in Kansas records. All of the info seems to fit that my Patrick William Creedan is the same person as your William Patrick Creeden. We need more proof to be sure either way. Let me know what you think.

I do believe that you may be right, I think that William P went by Patrick in his younger years. The 1900 census has them in Jackson Township, Darke county Ohio. It list his birth as 1864 and Mary C as 1862. I have went further and tracked their children for clues. Elsie their 2nd daughter list WP as being born in Ireland free state. I think maybe they really didny know where their father was born. I know in 1908 WP died and left all of them. Then in 1911 Mary C passes which left them all scrambling. In the 1910 census, there is a grand daughter list (Alta M.) I cant find her. Their is a family tree posted on Family search which shows Minnie May as having passed in 1925 but I found her and her family in Oklahoma. I then find her famly back in KS in 1940 but Minnie is not listed so I trying to find death Info. I have my mother's birth certificate from 1913, Minnie's daughter and its wrong. I'm going to get death certificates (or try on William and Mary C. so maybe that can provides some insite. I have more private info on Minnie's family and will share privately. My challenge though is back in Ohio for William and Mary C and their lineage.

Feel free to send me an email. You can go through the email form on the right side of the blog or send directly to kaycee03 @ gmail.com (no spaces). I noticed Alta M. in the census record too. I had the same situation where my 2x great-grandfather passed away fairly young and none of the kids seemed to know anything about his origins. It looks like our Creedens might be related, so I'll keep searching.

I am a Creeden that lives in NY. I too have hit a wall in my family research. My Great Grandfather Jeremiah Creeden is the youngest son of Denis Creeden (born 1848 Co Cork) and Johanah Murphy (Born 1850 Ireland). Jeremiah is their only child bon in the USA. When my Great Great Grandparents came to the US, they lived in NYC. They eventually moved to upstate NY and settled in Rosendale, NY (died and buried there). They worked in New Paltz, NY but were not allowed to live there because they were catholic.

I have searched for marriage/birth/baptismal records of my great great grandparents in Ireland but no luck so far. I have recently found FamilySearch, and hopefully will find a missing clue to piece it all together.

I have followed your site for a little over a year now and always come back for updates. Keep up the good work.

All the Creedon genealogical information I have developed comes from rootsireland.ie. Their Cork data go back a long way compared to other counties. I recommend setting up an account there and searching the baptisms and marriages.

Thanks Necessary! I've made a lot of progress on my Creeden family since I posted this and rootsireland.ie was indeed a big help. I didn't find anything for my great-great-grandfather Timothy Creeden, but I found a baptism record for his sister Julia. My biggest breakthrough came from the Ohio probate records on FamilySearch.org. I was able to connect my Timothy with his family and then from there find some records on rootsireland.ie. If you search my blog, you'll see more recent posts explaining how I think my Irish ancestors came from Clondrohid. I will update this post when I get a chance with some links to the newer posts. Thanks for stopping by!

And I should have mentioned them as well. Actually, they are my wife's ancestors. I am just the family genealogist. But she too is descended, we believe, from Creedons of Clondrohid. So perhaps you and she are related! I believe, based on Irish naming conventions, which fit perfectly her great-grandmother Creedon's children, that her ancestors are James Creedon and Abigail Murphy, and her great-grandmother is Margaret Creedon born Nov 1864 to that couple. They had several other children, including a Dennis, a James, and so on. I am off to Cork at the end of the month to do further research. I am on ancestry.com as mt572 if you are on that, otherwise mt57@aol.com to share notes.

Hello,My 2nd great grandfather was Michael Creeden. He was listed as being born in 1819 as Michael Creaden in 1861 census and as being born in 1823 as Michael Creeden in 1871 census. Both times his birthplace was Cork. His wife was Hanora born in 1828 according to her death record and 1831 on the 1831 census. She may have been married before Michael because they had a step-daughter named Caroline Veen or Mun? (hard to read) on the 1861 census. Their children's names were John, Jeremiah, and Ellen. Michael and Honore lived in Brentford, Surrey, UK and my grandfather, their grandson, joined the British Military and served in India. He taught school in Western Australia after that and then emigrated to California where he raised his family and remained until his death. I am completely stuck tracing Michael and Honore back to Cork. There's a Michael Creedon from Ballyvourney parish in Ballymakeery on the 1853 Griffith's Valuation next door to Eleanor Creedon and Hanore Lynch. This is close as I've come to possibly tracing them. I'd love to hear from anyone who may be related. Thanks! Kathy